Google Lets Advertisers Track Phone Calls Generated From Websites

In its latest move to prove the value of its AdWords advertising platform, Google has launched Website Call Conversions. The new conversion type tracks phone calls that happen after a user lands on a website from an AdWords ad.

By adding code to their sites, advertisers can track whether calls are made by users who click on a phone number or dial the number from their phones. When a user arrives at the site after clicking an ad, Google dynamically generates a unique phone number that can display for up to 90 days. Reporting shows which keyword and ad generated a call.

Google offers the ability to assign different values to calls generated from pages on a site that are geared toward different stages in the sales funnel.

However, as with Google’s click-to-call conversion tracking, AdWords can’t report actual sales or transactions from website calls — an advantage third-party call tracking solutions offer. Website call conversions can be used with third-party tools as well as with click-to-call conversion tracking.

The new feature is only offered where Google forwarding numbers are available: US, UK, France, Germany, Spain and Australia.